Hank twisting machine



July 18, 1933. v CAZZADOR] 1,918,740

HANK TWISTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 18, 1952 w TTOR/O CAZZADOP/ llwzwro/a his A froe/vt s Patented July 18, 1933 VITTORIO CAZZADOBI, OF RIVAROLO CANAVESE, AOSTA, ITALY HANK TWISTING MACHINE This invention relates to a machine for twisting yarn hanks, an operation which is performed before the bundling of the hanks for storing or despatching. To ensure a uniform twisting of the yarn hanks it is essential to maintain the hank in a stretched condition during twisting and in order to ensure uniformity of the knots these should all undergo the same number of turns. Twisting is generally accomplished by means of a revolving hook to which the hank is hooked as it is kept stretched by the hank twister. The rotation of the hook spindle is efi'ected by means of a weight which is lifted to a certain height, once for each knot, by winding the cable to which it is hung on the spindle. This is generally accomplished by the workwoman herself by means of a pedal which ,she lowers by stepping thereon. When the pedal is released the weight sinks unwinding the cable and set-ting into rotation the hook and the hank held stretched by the attendant.

It is obvious that this operation exhausts the strength of the hank twister who does not always lift the weightexactly to the same height and, whatimpairs above all the success of the operation, does not always hold the hank duly stretched, busy as she is with the operation of the pedal.

The object of this invention is to considerably reduce the fatigue imposed upon the hank twister, to ensure a strictly uniform product for all the duration of the work and an increased efliciency. The first and third objects are attained by effecting the rotation of. the hook by means of a power transmission deriving power from a special engine or from the power plant of the factory, means being provided for automatically setting into rotation and stopping the hook. The second object which is particularly important from the commercial standpoint is attained by combining the setting into rotation of the hook, namely the starting of the knotting oporation, with the stretching of the hank, in such manner that the former operation can be effected only if the latter has been performed.

Each desired means could be provided for counting, indicating, controlling the work accomplished etc. and for periodically indicating the number of knots e. g. a dozen, to be united to a bundle, thus relieving the attendant from the tedious duty of counting.

Application filed August 18, 1932, Serial No. 629,343, and in Germany-July 21, 1931. l

Figure 2 is an elevation showing the device in its operative position.

Figure 3 shows a detail of the counting device, not applied to the device shown in the preceding figures. t

Figure 4 shows a detail of Figure 1 in plan View.

Referring to Figure 1, the machine includes a bedplate 1 adapted to be attached to a stool e. g. the bundling stool, and carrying supports 2 and 3 for the shaft 6, the upright 4 and the supports 5 for the mechanism which returns the device to its inoperative position at the end of knotting.

The shaft 6 is provided with a large and strong screw thread on which the sleeve 7 may be displaced by means of its arm 7 guided by the rod 8 secured between the supports 2 and 3 and provided with a shock absorbing spring 8a. A projection 7a on the sleeve 7 is engaged by the screw thread on the shaft 6 so that the rotation in one or the other direction of this latter causes the sleeve to be displaced in one or the other direction. This displacement is limited by two abutment rings 9a and 96 secured by means of screws 9' to the shaft 6. The ring 9a determines the starting positionfor knotting and the ring 96' determines the end position.

The shaft is provided with an axial bore for receiving a spindle 10 which is longitudinally slidable therein. The spindle 10 is, however, keyed to the shaft 6 by means of a key 10a sliding in alongitudinal groove in the bore ofthe shaft 6.- The spindle 10 passes axially through the shaft 6 and carries at its end the knotting hook 11 for the hank M, the hook being secured to the spindle 10 by meansof a cross key.

' A small grooved pulley 12 is keyed on the spindle 10 and a belt 13 is adapted to pass on said pulley, one end of the belt being secured to the pulley and the other end supporting a weight P. A sleeve 14 is keyed on the same spindle 10 and is provided on one face with'clutch teeth adapted to engage with the clutch teeth of a sleeve 15 integral with a pulley 16. The pulley is loosely mounted by its hub 16a on the hub of the sleeve 14. A

compression spring 17 is mounted on the hub 16a, said springholding the two sleeves disconnected by pushing the sleeve 15 of the pulley 16 against the support 3and the sleeve 14 with the spindle 10 in the opposite direc-' tion, the sleeve 14 being held-by the abutment of the hook 111 which co-operates with the support 2. The spindle 10 carries at its other end a disc 18 passing between the branches of a fork 37 (F 4) carried'by an arm of the lever 19 fulcrumed to an extension 38 of the upright 4. The other arm of the lever 19 carries articulated thereto a rod'20 sliding in suitable guidesof the bedplate 1, and the end whereof comes to bear against a pin 21 carried by a pulley'22 diagrammatically indicated on the drawingby a dash-and-dot line.

The pulley 22 sets into'rotation through a reducing gear, not shown, the spindle 23 carried by the supports 5, said spindle supporting the pulley and carrying keyed thereto a cam 24 acting on the tooth 25 provided on the vertical bar 26.

The bar 26is suitably guided in the upright 4 and carries above a fork 27; a spring 28 holds the tooth 25 against the cam 24.

The upper end of a rod 29 carried by the arm 31 rests by its head 290/, on the fork 27, the lower end of said rod 29 carrying pivoted thereto the roller 30. A spring 32 acting between. the arm of an angle iron 33 and an abutment on the rod 29 pushes the rod downwards and the roller with its face against the periphery of the sleeve 14 in the disconnected position, Fig. 1.

An endless belt passes over the pulley 16 and the pulley 22. The driving force is so small and the belt is relatively so large that during the working of the apparatus the com plete slipping of the belt on the .pulley 22 takes place without disturbances in working or appreciable wear.

The working of the-apparatus is as follows:

In Figure 1 showing the inoperative position the pulley 16 rotates idly and the pulley 22 is stationary. owing tothe engagement between the pin..2l vandthe rod20, the belt slipping on the-pulley 22. The weight P is in its lowermost position ready for being lifted.

The hank twister hangs the hank M to the hook 11 and draws the hank to herself; the hook carries along the spindle 10 and the sleeve 14 fixed thereto is cause'd to engage with the sleeve 15 of the pulley 16; The spindle 1O isthus set into rotation with the shaft 6 and twisting is started, the weight P being lifted. The swinging of the lever 19 releases the pulley 22 which is set'into rotation carrying along by meansof gearing not I shown the spindle 23 and the cam 24. The

rotation of the cam causes the tooth 25 and the bar 26 to fall and allows the roller 30, a

7 short time after starting of the operation, to

sink under the pressure of the spring 32 and to clutch the members 14 and 15 together against the opposing action of the spring 17.

he twisting operation (Figure continues till the sleeve 7 has been displaced from 4 the abutment 9a to the abutment 9?). During this operation the pulleys l6 and 22 rotate, the former twisting the hank and lifting the weight, the latter slowly returning the cam 24 to the position shown in Figure 1. When knotter removes the knot andprepares herself for hanging another hank.

Meanwhile the pulley 22 rotates lifting by the cam 24 on the spindle 23 the rod 26 and the roller 30 returning this latter to the periphery of the sleeve 14. This latter is then unclutched from the sleeve 15 under the action of the spring 17. The weight P which had been lifted during the twisting operation begins to fall down rotating the shaft 6 in a direction opposite to the knotting direction till the sleeve 7 withdrawing 'from'the abutment 9?) is stopped by the abutment 9a.

In this position (Figure l) the machine is ready for receiving another hank. The number of turns imparted to the hank corresponds to the number of screw turns comprised. between. the abutments 9a and 9?). As these abutments are displaceable at will twisting can be suited. to the type of hank and yarn.

The apparatus described above by way of example can be modified within largelimits.

Instead of a dog clutch I can employ e. g. a friction clutch or a double pulley including a fried pulley and an idle pulley, the passage of the belt from one to the other pulley being produced by the pull on the hank. It is obvious that the machine can be driven by a particular engine.

The machine can. be provided with a total or partial hank counter of any suitable type. Figure 3 shows by way of example a knot counter which can be empolyed in connection with the machine shown in the preceding figures, said counting device being actuated by the'lifting of the bar 26 which takes place at the end of each knotting operation. A catch 34 is provided on the bar 26 said catch. being engaged in its upwardv motion by the saw teeth of a vertical bar 35 guided along the leg 4a of the upright 4. A second catch 36 carried by the said leg acts on the same set of teeth or on a second set of teeth on the same bar, and holds the bar during the downward movement of the catch 34. At each step the bar 35 is raised by a given extent and a pointer provided thereon indicates the number of knots that have been treated. This counting, device is suited for a small number of'knots e. g. one dozen, forming a layer of a bundle; a stop provided on the bar 35,

l L.) O

which prevents a further operation of the the bundle has been reached. The bar is then brought back to zero by asimple device (not shown) which releases it from the two catches this operation being utilized, if desired, for counting the layers, every return to the zero position being recorded by a suitable counter.

Each time the bar 26 is raised it takes along the bar 35 by means of the catch 34. WVh'en the bar 26 is lowered, the bar 35 remains in the raised position held by the catch 36. Thebar 85 at each twisting of the hank is thus raised by a step and remains in the new position. The bar 35 carries a pointer (not shown) displaceable along a graduation (not shown) carrying for instance the numerals 1 to 12. When the pointer reaches the position in front of the uppermost numeral (in this case 12) it abuts against a stop (not illustrated). The machine is thus locked; to frecit, it will be necessary to disengage the catches 34: and 36 to allow the bar 85 to return to its initial position. The device (not illustrated) for disengaging the bar 35 from the catches 34 and 36 can in turn operate a counting device (not illustrated) through which the number of dozens of twisted hanks is indicated.

I claim: i

1. Hank twisting machine comprising a bed plate, a hollow steep-pitcl'ied screw rotatahly mounted on said bed plate, a shaft mount-ed axially displaceablc but not'rotatable in said FElZQP-PlhCl1Qd screw, an operating member loosely mounted on said screw andfhaving clutch teeth, a movable clutch member fixed to said shaft, a hook at one end of said shaft adapted to receive the hanks the pull whereon produces the displacement of said shaft and therefore the clutching in of the clutch teeth of said operating member and said movable clutch member and the operative connection between said shaft andsaidoperating member for producing the rotation of said shaft and said screw, and means forautomatically,dis com'iecting the movable clutch member from the operating member after a predetermined number of turns of the screw;

Hank twisting machine comprising a bed plate, a steep-pitched hollow screw rotatably mounted on said bed plate, adjustable ahutments fined on said. screw, a sleeve mounted on said screw between said abutments and having a projection engaging with the screw thread, means for preventing the rotation of said sleeve, a shaft mounted in said screw ca nable of axial displacen'ient but held against rotation, an operating member loosely mounted on said screw, a clutch between said operating member and said shaft, resilient means for normally holding said clutch disconnected, a hook at one end "of said shaft adapted to receive the hanks, the pull thereon producing the displacement of said shaft and therefore the clutching in of said clutch and I the rotation of the shaft and screw and means for automatically producing the unclutching of said clutch when said sleeve comes into contact with one of said abutments.

3. Hank twisting machine comprising a bed plate, a hollow steep-pitched screw rotatably mounted on said bed plate, adj ustable abutment-s fixed on said screw, a sleeve mounted on said screw between said abutments andhaving a projection engaging with the screw thread, means for preventing the rotation'of said sleeve, a shaft mounted capable of axial displacement but held against rotation in said screw, an operating member loosely mounted on said screw, clutch members between said operating member and said shaft, resilient means for normally holdlug said clutch members unclutched, a hook at one end of said shaft adapted to receive the hanks, the pull on these latter producing the displacement of said shaft and thereore the clutching in of the clutch members and the rotation of the shaft and screw, an

automatic lock member for locking said clutch members in the clutched position as soon as a pull is exerted onthe hook, a cam device for bringing said lock-member into its inoperative position and permitting the unclutching of the clutch members as soon as said sleeve comes into contact with one of said abutments.

4i. Hank twisting machine comprising a bed plate, a hollow steep-pitched screw rotatably mounted on said bed plate, adjust able abutments fixed on said screw, a sleeve mounted on said screw between said abutments and having a projection engaging with the screw thread, means for preventing the rotation of said sleeve, a shaft mounted ca pable of axial displacement but held against rotation in said screw, an operating member loosely mounted on said screw, clutch members between said operating member and said shaft, resilient means for normally holding said clutch members unclutched, a hook at one end of said shaft adapted to receive the hanks, the pullon these latter producing the displacement of said shaft and therefore the clutching in of the clutch members and the rotation of the shaft and screw, an automatic lock member for locking said clutch members in the clutched position as soon as a pull is exerted on a hook, a cam device for bringing said lock member into its inoperative position and permitting the unclutching of the clutch members as soon as said sleeve comes intocontact with one of said abutments and means for automatically returning said sleeve to its initial position as soon as the clutch members are disconnected.

5. In a hank twisting machine as claimed e in claim 3, a cam device comprising a tappet acting on the lock member, a cam co-operating with said tappet, a shaft on which said cam is keyed and receiving motion from said operating member througha friction connection, means for locking said cam shaft when the apparatus is inoperative, said locking means being disengaged as soon as a pull is exerted on the hook, so that the cam on rotating produces, at the beginning of its motion, the engagement of the lock member with said clutch and, at the end of its motion, the disconnection of the clutch from the lock member.

6. Hank twisting machine comprising a bed plate," a hollow steep-pitched screw rotatably mounted on said bed'pla'te, adjustable abutment-s fixed on said screw, a sleeve mounted on said screw between said abutments and having a projection engaging with the screw thread, means for preventing the rotation of said sleeve, a shaft mounted capable of axial displacement but held against rotation in said screw, an operating member loosely mounted on said screw, clutch members between said operating member and said shaft, resilient means for normally holding said clutch members unclutched, a hook at one end of said shaft adapted to receive the hanks, the pull on these latter producing the displacement of said shaft and therefore the clutching inof the clutch members and the rotation of the shaft and screw, an automatie lock member for locking said clutch members in the clutched position as soon as a pull is exerted on the hook, a cam device for bringing said lock member in its inoperative position and permitting the nnclutching of the clutch members as soon as said sleeve comes into contact with one of said abutments, a groovedpulley keyed on said hook shaft and a weight hung by means of a cable .to said pulley, so that, during knotting of the hank, said weight is lifted and automatically returns-said sleeve to its initial position as soon as the clutch members are disconnected.

7. Hank twisting machine comprising a bed plate, a hollow steep-pitched screw rotatably mounted on said bed plate, adjustable abutments fixed on said screw, a sleeve mounted on said screw between said abutments and having a projection engaging with the screw thread, means for preventing the rotation of said sleeve, a' shaft mounted capable of axial displacement but held against rotation in said screw, an operating member loosely mounted on said screw, clutch members between said operating member and said shaft, resilientmeans for normally holding said clutch members unclutched, a hook at one end of said shaft adapted to receive the hanks, the pull on these latter producing" the displacement of said shaft and therefore the clutching in ofthe clutch members and the rotation of the shaft and screw, an automatic lock member for locking said clutch members in the clutched position as soon as a pull is exerted on the hook, a cam device comprising a tappet acting on the lock member, a cam co-operating with said tappet, a shaft on which said cam is keyed and receiving motionvfrom said operating member through a friction connection, means for locking said cam shaft whenthe apparatus is inoperative, said locking means being disengaged as soon as a pull is exerted on the hook shaft, so that the cam on rotating produces, at the beginning of its motion, the engagement of the lock member with said clutch members and, at the end of its motion, the disconnection of the clutch from the lock member.

8. Hank twisting machine comprising a bed plate, a hollow steep-pitched screw rotatably mounted on said bed plate, adjustable abutments fixed on said screw, a sleeve mounted on said screw between said abutments and having a projection engaging with the screw thread, means for preventing the rotation of said sleeve, a shaft mounted capable of axial displacement but held against rotation in said screw, an operating member loosely mounted on said screw, a clutch between said operating member and said shaft, resilient means for normally holding said clutch unclutched, a hook at one end of said shaft adapted to receive the hanks, the pull on these latter producing the displacement of said shaft and therefore the clutching in of the clutch and the rotation of the shaft and screw, an automatic lock member for locking said clutch in the clutched position as soon as a pull is exerted on the hook, a cam device comprising a tappet acting onthe lock member, a cam cooperating with said tappet, a shaft on which said cam is keyed and receiving motion from said operating member through a friction connection, means for locking said cam shaft when the apparatus is inoperative, said locking means being disengaged as soon as a pull is exerted on the a hook shaft, so that the cam on rotating produces, at the beginning of its motion, the engagement of the lock means with said clutch and, at the end of its motion, the disconnection of the clutch from the lock means, a

groove pulley keyed on said hook shaft and a weight hung by means of a belt to said pulley so that during knotting of the hank said weight is lifted and automatically returns said sleeve to its initial position as soon as the clutch is disconnected.

VITTORIO CAZZADORI. 

